


Run It With Love

by TessaDoesThings



Series: Tessa's Soft Wars [15]
Category: Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic (Video Games), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Found Family, KOTOBER, Multi, Non-Linear Narrative, Nonbinary Revan (Star Wars) - Freeform, Pro-Jedi, Soft Wars, Star Wars AU - Soft Wars, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:14:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26764882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TessaDoesThings/pseuds/TessaDoesThings
Summary: For the KOTOBER event from Tumblr!A non-linear story of Bly, Aayla, and Quinlan in the time of the Knights of the Old Republic games (about 3,800 years before the prequels) designed to be read without any knowledge of that game or time.
Relationships: CC-5052 | Bly/Aayla Secura, Carth Onasi/Bastila Shan/Player Character
Series: Tessa's Soft Wars [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1829968
Comments: 10
Kudos: 37
Collections: Open Source Soft Wars





	1. Day 1 - Swoop Racing

**Author's Note:**

> This story will eventually use all of the prompts from KOTOBER, although for the sake of my sanity I will be posting around 3 prompts a week rather than one a day :D
> 
> Thank you to LadyVadar and GoBayern for betaing this fic for me!

Aayla fiddles with the gloves she is wearing, even as she sends a cocky grin over to the crowded sidelines of the racing track. She scans the mass of sentients gathered at the dusty, questionably legal, sandy swoop-racing track until her eyes find where Quinlan has chosen his space. Aayla’s master is about 100 yards past the starting line, leaning over the edge of the track to wave at her. Mission has perched on his shoulders, cackling at something Quinlan must have said. The 14-year-old twi’lek is gripping Quinlan’s shoulders with her legs, her hands in the air, waving at Aayla. Admittedly, that was a very good way to get her attention and make sure she spotted them. Mission’s bright blue skin stood out from the dusty shades of green and brown worn by most of those local to Tatooine.

The organizer of the day’s races, Motta the Hutt, begins speaking over the intercom. He announces that the race would begin soon, which draws Aayla’s attention back to the track ahead of her. She tunes out the fake voice that one of the announcers is putting on – if she had to guess she would put her credits on the twi’lek girl trying to play up the stereotype of the weak, pretty female twi’lek. Whoever the announcer is, they’re repeating the fake backstory Aayla produced when she found herself in this time, declaring her the rookie racer this swoop-racing season.

A second, male announcer takes over as the start light ahead of Aayla starts to power on. She listens a little closer when the announcer mentions the time to beat. 23 seconds doesn’t seem too bad – she had watched racers on Taris do much better when she had watched the season opener. Although to be fair, that had been an entirely different track on a different planet.

Aayla flips the lever on the side of her speeder – no, they’re called swoop bikes at this point in time – to turn on the bike’s custom accelerator on and feels it hum to life beneath her, the extra power surging through the bike. As the lights begin to count down to the start of the race, Aayla wraps her hands around the throttle and brake controls attached to the handles of the speeder. As the go light turns green, Aayla slams the throttle trigger to the handlebar, squeezing it tight, and the bike leaps into motion.

Immediately she shifts to avoid the huge pile of debris in front of her, dodging left towards one of the ten acceleration pads placed along the track to give a boost of speed to a racer. As she passes over the pad, she slams her left handlebar forwards, releasing the speed that her accelerator has been building up. Combined, the two speed boosts send her shooting ahead. Through the air, she can feel the vibrations that mean the male announcer is commenting on something, but only barely.

Her lekku stream out behind her as she hits another speed panel and dodges between two more piles of the Hutt’s junk out on the field, the wind rushing around them as she gains speed until the only vibrations she can hear are the ringing songs of the air. She speeds over two more speed panels placed back to back, releasing her speed from the accelerator again as she hits the second pad, and its ever-so-slight slope is enough that she gets a fair amount of air as she does, and she sails over the ridge of sand left in the track by a previous racer. If her count is right, she’s ten seconds in, and almost halfway there. Her count has never been wrong in any of her practice runs.

The following pad is on the far side of the wide track, and at her high speed she only manages to clip the corner of it, but that sets her up for the next one. She squeezes between a rock arch and an artificial obstacle for a straight drive at the oncoming pad.

She takes a deep breath, and just as she reaches it, she slams both her handlebars forward to activate all of her accelerator’s speed, and then adds just a touch of brakes and twists the handlebars the way Anakin would twist the steering wheel when he pod-raced in the lower levels of Coruscant with her, and the bike shoots into the air, clearing two obstacles and sailing for a good hundred yards, despite the fact that the swoop bikes were clearly designed to hover at less than knee height above the ground.

In the air, Aayla sails over another speed pad without activating it, but the next two are in a straight shot to the finish line. On the ground, Aayla would have to dodge several obstacles to get to them, but airborne, she is able to sail right to them, landing on the tail end of the first and shooting straight at the second and final speed pad, releasing her accelerator’s speed for the last time as she shoots across the finish line.

In the end zone, Aayla lets go of the throttle, which she had been squeezing at max since the start of the race, and eases into the brace as she loops around the circular end zone. When the swoop bike finally comes to a rest, she hops off the bike and looks over to the entrance to the end zone. The gate slams open, and three figures come bounding through into the end zone.

“Bly!” She cries out, throwing her arms around her boyfriend, who gives a chuckle and hugs her back. “How did I do?” She asks. She had been moving too fast to hear when they announced her time. Bly gives a dopey grin back at her.

“22 and a half seconds. You did it! That gives you the top time today unless there are any late challengers.” Aayla grins, still full of the adrenaline from moving that fast. She can see less than half the track from where she’s standing. She leans forward and kisses Bly on each cheek, right on top of his golden tattoos.

“With a race like that? There won’t be any late challengers.” Sam comments from where they’re leaning against their swoop-bike, the Jedi checking the ignition and the accelerator on their swoop bike.

“I know! You were incredible!” Juhani adds. The cathar has one of the biggest grins Aayla has ever seen on her face, and the ponytail that is perched on the back of her head sways back and forth a little as the Jedi padawan bounces up and down a little.

“Oh please, my bike was incredible. You were okay.” Sam comments as they bang their lightsaber against the brakes. Aayla giggles, even as Juhani and Bly make twin noises of protest. “We should start heading back – we agreed to meet Master Vos and Mission outside the swoop offices,” Sam adds, and Aayla waves over one of Motta the Hutt’s employees to take Sam’s bike back to the swoop offices on one of their trailers, now that Sam has given it their thumbs up.

Once the bike was all loaded up, Aayla loops her arm through Bly’s and ducks out of the gate onto the path through the sandy Tatooine wastelands. Sam and Juhani follow one step behind them, the sand crunching under their feet as they begin their trek. The sun is beginning to set, so it is only horribly hot out, as opposed to the nearly deadly heat it had been when the races had started.

“When did you and Juhani get here, Sam? I thought the whole point of me riding this race was that you were going to be busy with our side project.” That gets a sigh out of Juhani.

“We hit a dead-end for today. Mission’s brother definitely came here with his girlfriend after he ditched Mission on Taris.” The cather offers, but that was hardly new news. They had heard as much from said ex-girlfriend when Mission had run into her on Dantooine.

“And Lena’s theory was definitely right – after she dumped Griff, he was employed by Czerka Corp for a while. Unfortunately, he’s missing right now, and the Czerka representative is being dodgy about answering any questions about him.” Sam adds on.

“The more I hear about Mission’s brother, the less I think he’s half the man she thinks he is,” Bly adds. “I mean, he was already on thin ice for abandoning his 12-year-old sister on a planet where the system is designed to oppress and marginalize non-humans like her. But every time I learn something new about him, he still manages to surprise me.” Bly grinds out. Aayla can feel his indignation strong in the force. Bly takes being a good older brother very seriously.

“And, the Czerka representative expressed that while they are too busy to look into it now, if someone were to, say, deal with their Sand People problem on the West Dune Sea, they would be more than happy to help. Not that they would be able to pay the said person.” Sam adds.

“You got to love casual, openly corrupt businesses, don’t you?” Aayla chimes in, and gets snorts of laughter from the others, so she considers it a success.

“It’s horrible. I can’t believe the things Czerka gets away with.” Juhani responds, her disapproval filling the force.

“So, what’s the plan? Do you need us to distract Mission again while you guys keep hunting down this lead?” Aayla chimes back in.

“If that’s possible? That would be ideal.” Sam responded, and Juhani nodded.

“Of course, it is. There’s another race tomorrow.” Aayla smirks.

“Maybe Mission will manage to drag Zaalbar to the race with her this time.” Bly offered, a fond smile on his face.

“I doubt it. I bet sand is a pain to get out of Wookie fur.” Sam chimes back in.


	2. Day 2 - Beast

“I still think this is a bad idea.” Bly repeats again, and very carefully does not shift from where he’s crouched in the sand by the mouth of the giant cave.

“You’ve mentioned that once or twice.” Bastila responds from her place just behind him. “But we need the Krayt Pearl to get a meeting with the Sand People Chieftain.” Bastila sounds resigned, and she hasn’t taken her eyes off the mouth of the cave either, Bly knows.

“Uh, more than that, we need to get inside the cave so we can find out what happened to your father!” Mission chirps from where she has flopped down into the sand next to them. Bly turns away from the cave mouth just in time to see Bastila’s face tighten, her eyes pinching a little as she visibly tries to quash her upset emotions. If they were in private, Bly would have scolded her for that. He’ll do it later.

“Maybe. If we can trust anything my mother says.” Bastila cuts back in, never looking away from the cave mouth.

“How can you say that? She’s your family!” Mission responds, shooting into a sitting position.

“The Jedi are my family. She’s just an unwanted shadow of my past.” Bastila protests, crossing her arms, but still not looking at any of them. There’s a hint of defensiveness in her tone now. “Just because you are desperate to find your brother, doesn’t mean I feel the same.”

Mission looks to be gearing up to go another round with Bastila, and really, Bly would rather avoid doing that for a third time today. Their argument about improper use of the force will probably be funny months from now, but Bly’s headache has only just faded.

“Family is the people who are there when you need them. For Bastila that was the Jedi, for you that might be your brother, or maybe Zaalbar.” Bastila winds down a little in response to that, and Mission gives a faint smile.

“Big Z has been there for me ever since we met.” He’s glad. It hasn’t come up yet, but from what Sam, Carth and Juhani have been able to figure out, Mission’s brother hasn't really been family to her in a long time. Zaalbar is a much better older brother to the young Twi’lek.

“They’re back.” Bastila says, pointing over the sand dunes to where Aayla is heading back across the sand towards them, Sam and Sam’s newly purchased murderdroid by her side. Aayla and Sam both have arms full of bantha fodder, and HK-47 follows two steps beside them, giant gun brandished in case they are attacked by opportunistic sand people.

The three of them break into a run as the entire herd of Banthas behind them starts to stampede. Bly restrains himself from laughing, but it’s a near thing. Two Jedi had gone to get one Bantha, of course they would end up with an entire herd instead. 

Bly grips his DC-17s tightly and slides his bucket onto his head. Keeping one eye on the cave to watch for movement, he hides his stupid grin behind the bucket as he watches Aayla and Sam lead the stampeding banthas their way.

“What are they doing? I told them ONE bantha.” Kormad, the Twi’lek hunter responsible for this absolutely banthashit crazy plan mutters angrily under his breath. Bly rolls his eyes. He knows Bastila can probably feel the irritation he’s radiating and he can’t bring himself to care. Bly does not like this man. He’s been nothing but rude and dismissive of Aayla since they met. Kormad had formed a first impression of each of them and then refused to budge on any of them, no matter who they actually were.

Aayla passes by Bly, her herd of Banthas kicking up a cloud of dust, and even with his helmet on he can barely see through the sand cloud. He hears the pounding of loud heavy feet and sees the dust cloud increasing in unfurling waves. Bly hears his companions and Kormad coughing from the sand, and silently thanks the Force for his helmet. From within the cloud of dust, a shape appears, growing larger as it hurtles towards him.

Bly catches Aayla out of the air, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She’s covered in flecks of bantha fodder which Bly will not enjoy picking out of his blacks later, but he pulls her closer anyway, shielding her face and lekku from the howling sand with his body.

“Hello, cyare.” He mutters at her, and she hums into his chestplate. All in all, the dust cloud lasts until Bly’s count of six before it begins to settle, revealing the herd of Banthas eating the bantha fodder that had been abandoned on the ground in front of the cave. Bly shifts, uncurling his arms from around Aayla but not leaving her side, and grabs his DC from where he had dropped it into the sand to catch her.

“Ready?” She asks him, and Bly grins at her from behind the bucket, knowing that she would get an impression of it in the force. A rush of movement has Bly turning to see Bastila and Sam uncurling from each other. Sam whips their head back and forth, and their hair lets loose a spray of sand, which earns a giggle from Mission, who had been tucked between them and is now climbing to her feet.

“Next time, Master, you should allow me to kill some of the meatbags, and then they won’t kick up quite so much sand.” Sam’s murder droid complains to Sam, who rolls their eyes in response.

A roar echoes from inside the mouth of the cave, and in a single blurred movement, a ten foot tall smoky grey krayt dragon explodes out of the mouth of the cave, pouncing on one of the banthas, not unlike one of the tookas that live in the Jedi Temple in Bly’s time.

“If you want to shoot something, shoot that!” Sam hisses.

“With pleasure, Master.” HK responds, and fires off a single round of his gun – Bly doesn’t know the make, but he can openly admit he has developed a case of weapon envy. The blaster bolt pings against the krayt dragon’s hide uselessly, but the dragon does take a step backward, and he swishes his tail in irritation. It’s a better result than Bly could have hoped for. In doing so, the dragon sets off over twenty of the mines that Mission had carefully placed.

Bly watches as clouds of poisonous gas blooms up from the ground, immediately followed by concussive rounds which go off with flashes of light right in the dragon’s face. Plumes of sand shoot up where the explosive mines trigger, pinning the dragon in place. Sam shifts their hand into the signal they’d agreed on for go, and Bly lobs three of his thermal detonators at the dragon’s head. Joining them are Sam’s two, Aayla’s one, and the shot of pure force energy that Bastila fires off. Bly notes with no little bit of irritation that Kormad does not actually throw the one he was given. Typical.

The krayt dragon gives on final cry, which Bly weathers by muting his audio sensor, and he wraps his arms around Aayla’s head, shielding her lekku from the strength of the sound as it drags on for several seconds. Bly looks over at Mission, silently wondering if he should do the same for her, but Bastila sees what Bly is doing for Aayla and matches him for the younger Twi’lek. Eventually, the scream of the dragon ends, and it collapses into the sand, dead. Mission gives out a whoop, and pulls Sam and Bastila into a hug.

“We did it!” She giggles as Bly turns back on his audio sensors.

“That we did.” Aayla adds from where she’s still nestled in Bly’s arms, making no attempt to move.

“Excellent! The greatest trophy in the desert is now mine!” Kormad cries, and Bly rolls his eyes behind his helmet, but does not comment. Sam does send him a lopsided smile, so apparently Bly is projecting.

“Remember our deal, Kormad. The dragon’s pearl is ours.” Bastila responds, her hand drifting to where Bly knows she doesn’t actually keep her lightsaber, but where logic dictates that she would. Kormad slumps a little, but gestures with his hand in a go-on motion.

“Thank you.” Sam gives a beautifully predatory smile and makes their way over to where the dragon is lying in the sand and gets to work extracting a pearl.

“Now we can give the pearl to the sand people so that we can open negotiations with them so that we can convince them to let both the jawas and Griff go.” Mission huffs beside Aayla.

“Honestly, I don’t know how Griff ever thought he would survive without me to sweep in and save him at the last minute.” They haven’t told her yet about how it is looking more and more like Griff got involved in the drugs and slaves side of Czerka’s business. There hasn’t been time, and they have only circumstantial evidence. The plan is to tell her as soon as they have proof one way or another. 

Bly really hopes that Master Vos, Juhani, Canderous and Carth find something today so that they can do so tonight because no matter what the others think, he refuses to let Mission find out the hard way from Griff himself.

“Bastila! Let’s go!” Sam calls to the other Jedi from where they’re climbing to their feet and putting what is probably the pearl into their bag. “I think I can see the star map from here!” Sam adds, and Bastila gives a fond smile that Bly’s seen on more than one of his brothers when they look at their Jedi, and isn’t that interesting? 

Bastila heads into the cave with Sam, and Aayla finally removes Bly’s arms from around her shoulders but is still leaning into him.

“That’s good news. The sooner they get ahold of that star map, the quicker we can get off of this dustball.” Aayla mutters, and Mission giggles.

“Two down, three to go.” Bly deadpans back, and Mission’s giggles evolve into full-on laughter. “Honestly, why couldn’t this ancient infinite empire put a whole map in one place? Why did they have to break it into pieces and scatter it across the worst planets in the outer rim.” Bly thinks it’s a legitimate question.

“Hey! Dantooine wasn’t that bad!” Aayla protests.

“The Jedi Enclave wasn’t so bad. But whenever any of us non-jedi left it, we kept getting attacked by Kath Hounds.” Mission snarks back, and her deadpan is improving, Bly’s so proud. 

Aayla snorts. As she goes to respond, Sam and Bastila re-emerge from the cave, and the three of them rise to go meet them. Kormad has wandered off, Bly notes. He doesn’t know when, and he doesn’t really care. The Twi’lek kept Bly’s thermal detonator. 

Sam has a copy of the star map in their arms and is working on getting it into the bag they carry, and Bastila has a satchel in hers. She’s holding it like it might vanish at any moment, but also like it could shatter into a thousand pieces. That must be her father’s bag, Bly realizes. He’s glad she can get some closure now, but he can also tell she isn’t ready to open it yet. He’ll support her when she is.


	3. Day 3 - Mandalorian

“Kot.” Bly tapped his bracer twice, never breaking eye contact from Master Quinlan. Aayla cackles and throws her arm around her boyfriend.

“What does that mean?” Mission asks, from where she's deep in a card game with Zaalbar and Sam. Aayla has been watching her cheat like no one’s business, and she’s fairly sure Zaalbar is cheating too. Sam is not, and as such is losing horribly.

“It’s a prayer for strength to the part of the Force that’s fine with shooting assholes[1].” Bly responds, and Aayla suppresses a giggle. She had known it was a prayer for strength, but not what they were praying to. She wonders who came up with it. It sounds like something one of the Shebse would do. 

Bastila makes a small noise from where she’s helping Carth make dinner. Aayla can tell the sound is around 70% amusement and only 30% offense, which is a far better ratio than the female Jedi would have had at the start of their journey together. It’s good to see her loosening up.

“Show me how?” Mission asks, setting her cards face down on top of T3-M4’s flat head. The droid beeps in response and rolls out of reach of the game’s other players, over to where HK-47 is cleaning one of its many weapons.

“Sure.” Bly responds with an easy grin, and gestures at her to come over. “The phrase is Mando’a-” Bly starts, but is interrupted with a loud decisive snort from Canderous in the corner.

The older Mandolorian hasn’t spoken since he came back from whatever room he had dragged Mission off to after her confrontation with Griff. Aayla had no idea what Canderous said to the younger Twi’lek, but Mission had seemed much perkier since she got back, and there was almost no trace of the moping there had been prior to it, her hurt and betrayal dulled.

“That’s not real Mando’a.” Canderous responds irritably. From what Aayla has seen, Canderous gets on like a house on fire with Mission and Sam, but Aayla can feel the way he can barely stand to be in a room with Bly. Bly knows too, Canderous has not been subtle, but he responds politely anyways.

“Of course not. The phraseology is Mando’a, but the motion is Kamino-teh.[2]” Bly responds, and Aayla can feel him rolling his eyes and quoting someone. Aayla adds it to her list of questions to ask him tonight. Canderous makes a very derisive noise.

“The kark is Kamino-teh?”

“Watch your language around the child!” Carth calls back at Canderous. He is ignored. Mission cackles. Bastila wraps her arm around Carth with a sigh.

“Kamino-teh is the culture of the planet of Kamino, where my Vode and I were raised, it’s where our offshoot of Mandalorian culture comes from.” Bly responds. His full attention appears to be on the conversation now, and Mission doesn’t look too disappointed, given from the way she and Sam are watching it like a sporting match. Master Quinlan had vanished as soon as Canderous had started speaking, likely to find Juhani for the mediation they did together every day.

“A Mandalorian offshoot.” Canderous leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

“Yes. A fairly new but large one in our time.” Bly responds, voice carefully level.

“Is that how you justify working so closely with Jedi, after everything they did to Mandalore? Or do you just care nothing for Mandalorian glory.” Aayla snakes her hand up Bly’s back to rest in between his shoulder blades. He’s in his shell, even if his helmet is off, so there isn’t much she can do, but she does her best to radiate calm before Bly launches himself at Canderous.

“You can keep your Mandalorian glory. I’ll fight alongside those who share my moral code instead.” Bly crosses his arms back at Canderous. “Besides, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the only one fighting alongside Jedi now.”

“I fight alongside Sam and the others because I respect their strength.” Canderous responds, and Bly battlesigns  _ and-adopted  _ at Aayla. She struggles to not laugh. “They have proven themselves to be beacons of strength to follow.”

“And have my Jedi not? They are both incredibly talented at what they do. You didn’t even realise Master Vos was a Jedi when he was undercover as your partner on Taris.” Bly argues back at Canderous. The older Mandalorian pauses and then nods.

“I suppose they have.” Canderous concedes the point, and a gruff understanding bleeds into the force, surprising Aayla.

“What Canderous means to say is he’s sorry if he offended you, he’s just concerned by the many different paths taken by Mandalorians after the war, and he’s worried Mandalore will never again unite properly!” Mission chirps from where she has settled herself next to Bly on the couch. Aayla silently vows to never tell Mission a secret.

“Well in that case, tell Canderous ‘apology accepted’, and that if he’s worried about Mandalorians betraying their codes of honor and never coming back, then maybe they were never really Mandalorians at all.” Bly responds, and Aayla can’t help but wrap him in a hug after that. Sometimes, Bly has moments where he catches her off guard. It’s incredibly attractive.

“Alright, save the philosophy debates for later, dinner’s ready!” Carth calls, and there is a scramble to make it to the table before all of Carth’s Telosian BBQ gets claimed.

“Save me a plate!” Comes Juhani’s voice drifting down the hallway from the cargo hold. Aayla laughs and calls back an affirmative as she watches Bly bump shoulders with Canderous.

“We’ll finish this conversation after dinner?”

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 This is a direct reference to [A Prayer for Strength in Adversity](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23407009), by Projie, the original creator of soft wars. In fact, it is taken nearly verbatim from that story. [return to text].
> 
> 2 see above. [return to text].
> 
> this debate never ends. It does eventually evolve into them comparing notes on Vode culture vs traditional Mando culture though. Mission is endlessly fascinated.


	4. Day 4 - Droid

Quinlan boards the  _ Ebon Hawk _ last as they get ready to leave Tatooine. He hates this dust-ball planet almost as much as Obi-Wan’s padawan, but he refuses to walk in front of Sam’s mysterious murderdroid. The chances that HK-47 is programmed to mean any harm to anyone on this ship are astronomically low, but at the same time, Quinlan doesn’t put any stake in the odds anymore. Instead he believes that if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. With their luck, the droid will have turned out to have been owned by Darth Revan or Darth Malak before its memory was corrupted.

Besides, none of them have ever heard of an HK droid, and it’s make and model are mostly unfamiliar, but Quinlan knows combat droids when he sees them. He’s spent the past two years of his life dodging around them and trying to avoid getting caught by one. Putting this one in front of him is practically second nature at this point.

Also, the droid is far too enthused by the prospect of committing the murders of what it calls ‘meatbags’ to be anywhere near normal.

Once on board the ship, Quinlan watches as the others separate before take-off. 

Canderous grabs Mission. She’s particularly murderous, and has been since her brother admitted to choosing to leave her behind on Taris because he considered her a burden. His role in Czerka’s shadier businesses didn’t help, and it just added insult to injury when he had asked her for money. 

Sam and Carth grab Bastila, who is particularly shaken by her encounter with her mother, and the reveal that the older woman was dying. Quinlan can feel her partners leading her back towards the cockpit, both for take-off and likely also for the peace and quiet of the space. 

Aayla and Bly are making their way towards the quarters the three of them are sharing, probably to act on the very specific hunger Quinlan can feel from the two of them now. 

Zaalbar takes the supplies he acquired in the marketplace to the cargo hold, and Juhani excuses herself to catch up on the assignments her master has sent her.

Which leaves Quinlan alone with HK-47 and Sam’s other droid, T3-M4, which was absolutely what he wants, except the part where he wants to spend exactly no time with the murderdroid. 

He settles into one of the plush couches in the middle of the communal space at the center of the ship and pulls up the audio recording file he has been transcribing to send to Madam Nu in the archives as a gift. He links the audio up to his headset and starts typing. Or, attempts to, anyways. 

He’s distracted by a sharp motion on the edge of his field of vision. He looks up, and sees the smaller droid, T3-M4 bumping into HK. With the audio of the recording playing in his ears, he can’t hear what T3 is saying, but the lights around its flat top are flashing the way they do when it beeps out binary. HK tilts its head to one side, then responds. Quinlan can make out a low grumble, but not individual words.

T3 starts speaking again, spins dramatically in place, before shooting across the room towards the computer room. This time, Quinlan turns the volume down on his recording enough to hear HK’s response.

“I’m coming! Silly little one.” The second part is quieter, subtler, but fond, and it brings a little bit of surprise to Quinlan, even if he’d never show it.

“HK = designation: New Friend, && New Friend == Follow T3!” The small droid beeps back at HK in binary.

As Quinlan watches, the mysterious murder droid follows the tiny Tarisan droid down the hallway, muttering cross words in a fond tone. Quinlan doesn’t trust HK yet, but maybe – maybe there’s more to this droid than wiped databanks and hidden programming. Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> murder droid, murder droid, killing all the meat-bags.


	5. Day 5 - Pazzak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter today, a much longer chapter next.

“It’s all about the way you move your hand. Until you get good enough at it, you’ll get caught if you do it the way they expect because those motions put them on high alert.” Quinlan explains from where he is perched on a crate.

“So, if they’re looking for the motions I’d think of first, what should I do instead?” Juhani wonders back at him from her crate on the other side of the room. Quinlan grins back at her, a wild, rugged thing.

“You’re a Jedi, use that.” He challenges her, and she makes a noise of surprise.

“Isn’t that inappropriate use of the Force?” The Cathar padawan responds. Quinlan laughs.

“So, what if it is? As card carrying members of the Fell-to-Dark-but-came-back club, there are worse things that we could be using the Force for.” Quinlan responds, and then uses the Force to wiggle the crate Juhani is sitting on, getting a single surprised squeak from her, as she uses the Force to catch herself.

“Well, I guess it is technically for a good cause?” Junhani added hesitantly, standing back up. She adjusted her robes and the normally reserved padawan made a show of dusting them off. Quinlan snorted in response.

“Kid, it’s not something that hurts anyone, so it’s fine even if you’re just doing it for fun.” He cuts back in, crossing his arms.

“I’m twenty-three!” Juhani protested half-heartedly. Quinlan was pretty sure that it was entirely a token protest at his point. She was grinning.

“Hence, kid.” Quinlan responded with a matching grin. “Now come over here. If you’re not in a situation where you can change your options through sleight of hand, lemme teach you how to count cards.”


	6. Day 6 - Revan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> reflections on revan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter did not want to end. At all.

The first time Sam ever remembers hearing about Darth Revan, it was during their escape from the crashing ship where their memories begin. The words echo and stick in Sam’s head, and Sam has no idea why.

 _"That smack to your head did more damage than I thought. Bastila's a Jedi. She was with the strike team that killed Darth Revan, Malak's Sith master. Bastila is the key to the whole Republic war effort. The Sith must have found out she was on the Endar Spire and set an ambush for us in this system. I believe Bastila was on one of the escape pods that crashed down here on Taris. For the sake of the Republic war effort, we have to try and find her."_ [1]

Sam knows, deep in their soul, that those words are important, that they’re the key to something. 

They’re not Sam’s first memory from after the amnesia. Their earliest memory is from twenty minutes before, being shaken awake in a bunk in the crashing _Endar Spire_. The man who had apparently been their bunkmate filled Sam in as quick as best they could, but Sam felt detached from the whole incident until Carth said those words.

On the surface, those words are what caught Sam, and drew them into this grand adventure. They led Sam to their partners, to Carth and Bastila, who quickly became two of the most important parts of Sam’s life. Those words set Sam on the path to find Bastila on Taris, which led to them being bonded in the Force. That bond became the key to Sam being trained as a Jedi, and the quest to find the Star Maps.

Which brings Sam back to Revan. The quest for the Star Maps which comes from visions they share with Bastila, visions of Revan and Malak hunting for the same Star Maps years ago.

At the end, Sam’s journey begins with Revan, and when they find the Star Maps to guide them to Malak’s weapon, this chapter of Sam’s journey will end with Revan too.

* * *

Bastila Shan has been tied to Revan as long as she can remember. When she first came to the Jedi Temple as a child, Revan was there. When they were just younglings, Bastila has been told they were briefly inseparable. Bastila doesn’t remember that so much, she just remembers when Revan reached a point when it wasn’t cool to have a little kid hanging around all the time. They had a fight, and Bastila stopped seeing Revan after that.

_But that didn’t mean her ties to Revan were broken. Revan would always haunt her every step._

After her friendship with Revan ended, Bastila became fast friends with Lucian Draay, and whenever the other boy came to the temple, they would study together. However, as they grew, the world became tormented, and so did their friendship. The war that had taken place just before they were born, the war against the Sith Lord Exar-Kun had killed Lucian Draay’s father, and left him and the rest of the Jedi scattered and afraid. Lucian was always afraid of the return of the Sith. Bastila knows now he was likely even right, but at the time it seemed ridiculous.

When Revan began to speak out against the Jedi’s stance of neutrality in the budding Mandalorian Wars, Lucian protested, dug in his heels, and began to speak out about the return of the Sith. When Bastila confessed that while she supported the Jedi’s neutrality, she believed the Mandalorians a larger threat than the Sith, she and Lucian fought. She stopped seeing Lucian after that.

_Lucian denounced her as a Revanist, despite the fact that she swears she wasn’t one._

Despite being called more and more a heretic by higher ranking Jedi as Revan continued to argue for the Jedi to go to war, Revan was still the brightest padawan of the generation. As Bastila progressed through her studies, she was surrounded by examples of the excellence of her childhood friend. Bastila was talented, and as such was constantly measured against Revan in every class.

_That stopped when Revan left._

When Revan and Malak took most of their generation to go fight in The War alongside the republic, Bastila stopped hearing the name ‘Revan’ around the temple. At least, for a couple of years. The masters disapproved, and they were afraid that more of their ever shrinking group of padawans would follow Revan to war, that those who went off to war would fall the way so many had done during the war with Exar Kun. Bastila listened to the Masters and tried to forget all about Revan then.

_The Masters were right to be concerned._

When the Republic won the Mandalorian Wars, Bastila thought Revan would finally come home. She remembered her best friend from childhood, the friend Lucian had never been to her, she saw that now. When Revan came back, she had promised herself, she would fix what had been broken.

_Revan didn’t come back._

When Revan and Malak disappeared with more than two thirds of their forces and the Jedi that had been with them, the temple once again lit up with talk of Revan, of Revan’s disappearance. No one had any idea where they went, or how to bring them home again. Sometimes there were rumors of either Revan or Malak being seen around the outer rim, but they were never more than rumors.

_It would have been better if they never came back from their hunt for the Star Maps._

When Revan did come back, it was as a fallen shadow of Bastila’s old friend. Revan wore a mask of steel and commanded armies that destroyed the Republic and terrorized its people. Revan came back as a Sith Lord. The Jedi council turned to Bastila, with the Battle Meditation ability she had crafted over her life. She was their only choice. She had to kill Revan.

_Revan killed the others who went with Bastila, and for a moment Bastila wanted to do the same. Bastila refused to let the dark in then._

These days, Bastila keeps having visions of Revan’s lost days. Sam has the same visions. Bastila worries what that means. Revan hunted the same Star Maps, and now so do Sam and Bastila.

_These days, Bastila holds the lovers her teacher told her she should be above having, holds Carth and Sam so very close, and tries not to think about Revan at all._

* * *

Carth Onasi has never met Revan. During the Mandalorian Wars, Carth was just a lieutenant, while Revan was functionally a general. There was never any reason for them to cross paths. But Revan was a brilliant strategist. The men and women Revan fought alongside won nearly every battle they engaged in, and Revan single handedly changed the tide of the war. Carth admired Revan during those days. The thought now makes Carth sick.

Carth used to think Revan was some sort of hero. A grand warrior who came out of a dangerously uncaring or even corrupt Jedi order, but who managed to rise above it to fight for what is right. Carth knows better now. The dangerously uncaring one was Revan. Who betrayed them so easily, who talked others into betraying everything they’d known alongside them.

When Revan had left, over half of the Republic’s soldiers had gone too. It disgusted Carth; he couldn’t understand it at all. What Revan had done to earn that loyalty from so many? To earn that loyalty from Saul?

When Revan left, Admiral Saul Karath had gone with. Before that, Saul was Carth’s mentor, his friend, his confidant. And when Saul betrayed the Republic for Revan and Malak, he betrayed Carth _to_ Revan and Malak.

After the desertion, Carth was promoted to Saul’s position. And when the desertion was revealed to be a betrayal? Carth led the battle against the new Sith Army, fighting throughout the outer rim. And so, Saul told Revan and Malak where to find Carth’s family.

Malak and Saul went to Telos IV together, and they destroyed the planet. Bombarded every city, every town, until there was nothing left living anywhere. That bombing killed Carth’s family. Killed his wife and son. Killed Morgana and Dustil.

It was Saul’s fault, it was Malak’s fault, it was _Revan’s_ fault.

As Carth holds those who now have his heart, clings to Sam and Bastila, he swears that he will kill Saul with his own hands, and that Saul, and Malak, will never touch them.

And yet, the ghosts of Revan remain.

* * *

Canderous Ordo has knelt at Revan’s feet, and has starred up from the ground at the cold steel mask Revan wore. It was Revan who brought the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders’ war against the Republic to an end, who put a stop to their conquest. It was Revan who demanded Mandalore’s unconditional surrender, and who claimed their weapons. Revan destroyed Mandalore. 

Canderous does not hate Revan. Canderous respects Revan. 

How can he not? When it came down to the end, the war between them was a battle of strategists, Canderous leading his warriors and Revan leading the Republic’s soldiers. When it came down to it, Revan had been willing to make the sacrifices and take the chances that allowed for the Republic Army to outmaneuver the Mandalorians, even when no one else was willing to give the orders to do so.

And in the end, when Canderous had crossed blades with Revan, Canderous had been soundly defeated, unable to so much as scratch Revan’s mask. How could Canderous not respect that strength?

Canderous has heard that what truly led to Revan’s death was a betrayal from the inside, from Malak. Canderous can believe that. No matter what Revan did, Canderous knows that Revan will always be the greatest warrior and tactician Canderous ever encountered.

* * *

Juhani knows that Revan was a bad Jedi and was an Objectively Bad Person. But still, Juhani can’t make herself forget.

Juhani knows that she will never forget how Revan saved her during the Mandalorian Wars, how Revan inspired her to finally leave Taris and go to Dantooine, who gave her the dream of becoming a Jedi.

Juhani will always remember her life on Taris, growing up hated by the humans who held all of the power, and the feeling of her family being the only Cathars on the planet. She knows she was shaped by her childhood as a refugee in the gang-ridden Undercity. She is haunted by the murder of her father, and the way her mother’s life faded out slowly after that until Juhani was alone.

When Juhani’s mother died, Juhani barely had time to make arrangements for the body before the Exchange came. Juhani will never forget the moment the big enforcers told her of her parent’s debt, or the way they took her afterwards.

Juhani can’t ever hate Revan because Juhani can’t ever forget the feeling of standing there, waiting to be sold, only for Revan to lead the Jedi to interrupt the sale, to save her. Because even though Revan never took off that mask, Juhani knows that Revan smiled at her.

* * *

To Jolee Bindo, Revan is just another page in the never-ending chain of Sith. An interlude between Exar Kun, Jolee’s first chapter, and Malak, Jolee’s current chapter. Revan isn’t even a particularly notable page - Jolee missed Revan’s entire life during his stay in Kashyyyk’s Shadowlands.

From what Jolee has heard and seen though, Revan was nothing special. Revan was just another Jedi, then just another soldier, and then was just another Sith. Jolee has seen hundreds of Jedi, Thousands of soldiers, and more Sith than he cares to count.

People talk about the shock of Revan’s betrayal as though Exar Kun had not done the exact same thing 50 years prior. They talk about the way Revan convinced other Jedi to desert, to fall, as though Exar Kun did not do the same thing first. As though Exar Kun did not convince Jedi to fall in far greater numbers, as though he did not lure away even the best of the Jedi, as though he did not lure away Jolee’s Nayama.

The galaxy talks about what Revan has done, about the people they know betraying them to follow Revan, as though Exar Kun did not inspire the same, as though Jolee never found his wife’s lightsaber at his throat as her eyes glowed yellow.

The Jedi Jolee has encountered since returning from Kashyyk talk about the potential Revan had, how great a Jedi Revan could have been, as though there have not been hundreds of Jedi with great potential who never lived up to it. As though Zayne Carrick, Andor Vex, or Shad Jelevan were not padawans with equal potential who did not live up to their greatness the way they were expected too.

Jolee sees how the galaxy talks about how Revan was a brilliant tactician, how no one could outthink Revan, but he’s suitably underwhelmed. He remembers how Krynda Draay out-thought Exar Kun, how she rose up from loss to lead the Republic to victory.

Jolee Bindo never met Revan, but he remembers what came before Revan, and he will remember what comes after.

* * *

To Zaalbar, Revan doesn’t stand out. Revan is just another human in a galaxy of humans. Zaalbar never even heard the names of Revan or Malak before he left Kashyyyk. If the tales of Revan were told on Kashyyyk, it would be simply added to the list of terrible humans Zaalbar’s father once carved.

Revan was just another human slaver. The only difference is that Revan went after his own people rather than just the Wookies or the other sentients who don’t look like them.

To Zaalbar, Revan is nothing remarkable. The remarkable ones are those who are on board the _Ebon Hawk_ with him, the ones who welcomed him as the family he has longed to have for so long.

* * *

Mission heard of Revan just once when she was a little girl, before Griff left. She heard of Revan in hushed tones, murmured between the people of Taris, after the destruction of the temple. The Jedi temple that had once been the pride of the governors of the planet, before it had been destroyed in order to chase the Mandalorians from Taris.

After the taxes were raised in the undercity so the governors could build an even more lavish temple to replace it, in hopes of drawing the Jedi back, that was when Mission first heard the name Revan. She learned that Revan was a champion of the non-humans of the galaxy, and that Revan wasn’t there when the temple fell.

Revan came later, to chase out the Mandalorians who remained, or so the stories tell. They talk of how Revan walked through the same filth covered streets they did, who stayed in the same filthy inns they did, who walked for a few days in their shoes.

To Mission and the people of the Undercity of Taris, Revan was a legend, a figure who brought ever so small a taste of equality. Even when the stories the people from the Uppercity told became tainted, talking of a darker Revan, they were considered just another political play by those who lived below. Another attempt to take away the light in their dark world.

Mission believed that as long as she could. She believed it right up until she was aboard the _Ebon Hawk_ , looking out at the destruction Revan’s student rained down. Mission believed in Revan until Revan’s legacy left her one of the last survivors of Taris.

* * *

Revan first really mattered to Quinlan Vos during an undercover mission on the planet of Dromud Kaas, about six months before he was sent back in time. It was a terrible mission on a terrible planet, largely due to the cultists.

Even nearly four thousand years after the time of Revan, the cult of Revan remained, and Quinlan spent three months undercover in it. During that time, he learned very little, and none of the things he went there hoping to learn. Instead, he learned that many people learn of Revan and view Revan very differently. As Quinlan performed his initiation tasks, he dove deeper into the history of a figure that, while famous at the Jedi temple even in his time, had previously just been another historical figure.

To the cultists, Revan represented balance. The grey between the light Jedi and the dark Sith, given the time that Revan spent as both. They claimed to strive to walk that pathway, neither light nor dark. Quinlan wished that was possible. He didn’t believe it was back then – most of the cultists were deeply dark, and a few light enough that with training Quinlan would label them Jedi. There was no middle grey to be found there, despite their awareness of both.

Now here, in the era of Revan? Quinlan was more sure of that belief than ever before. There was no middle ground here in the galaxy. Those who had once been on the side of the republic were most assuredly not anymore. That did not make them half sith, half-republic, they were entirely Sith.

The same was true for the Jedi who had turned their backs and left their principals and teaching. They did not become grey, they became dark, Sith, the same way Quinlan very nearly had once. If they wanted to be anything but Sith, they would have to work every day to walk in the light the same way he does.

No matter what the cultists of Revan believe, Revan did not walk grey lines. Revan simply walked white and then black. In the force, no one ever managed to walk grey, no matter what they believed or how strong they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1Directly quoting from KOTOR 1.[return to text]
> 
> did someone say world-building and foreshadowing? Too bad you get it anyways.  
> Also, a wild Jolee makes his first appearnace.


	7. Day 7 - Exile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't say it nearly enough: thank you to RougeLadyVader for acting as a Beta for this whole story! She worked extra hard to get this chapter out today, and I can never thank her for basically reorganizing and reformating an entire portion of the chapter which I had originally written at three am on four cups of caffeinated tea-

His room had been emptied. Somehow, Zaalber keeps circling back to that fact. It doesn’t surprise him, or at least it shouldn’t. It has been almost a decade since the day he was forced off Kashyyyk, exiled from his home. And yet, the space has not been repurposed. Instead, it remains an empty shell on the side of the chieftain's house. Father did not replace the room with anything, which is what Zaalbar expected.

But Chuundar? Zaalbar would have expected his brother to replace or destroy the room the second he took the chieftainship from their father. It seems like the kind of thing Chuundar would do now. Destroy and to cover up anything that could suggest that he cheated his way to power, that he betrayed his family.

Zaalbar supposes Chuundar had more despicable things to do once he removed all his obstacles.

Zaalbar has noticed, as he watches his village through the one window, that it is far emptier than he remembers it ever being before. Zaalbar regrets. Had he only been able to make himself heard back then, rather than allowing his anger to consume him and drive him to disgrace himself forever, maybe he could have saved them..

o - o - o - o

_ “My brother made deals with the slavers and allowed them to get a foothold. I found out and attacked him. The fight was stopped, but my father did not believe me when I told him about my brother's actions. I was made an exile, disowned by my home and people. I should not be here. They will not accept me back. When I attacked my brother I was so mad… I used my claws. You don't understand what that means to a Wookiee. Our claws are tools, not weapons. To use them in battle is to become an animal. It is madness without honor. I am forever a madclaw in the eyes of my people. Nothing I say is to be trusted. They were right to cast me out.” – Zaalbar, Knights Of The Old Republic _

o - o - o - o

As children, Chuundar's gift for spinning stories had fascinated Zaalbar. Even before they could reach their father’s knees, he remembered Chuundar creating wild tales of adventures that everyone believed were real. It was a gift, and one that Zaalbar did not possess. Actions were where he succeeded, demonstrating his affection through thoughtful gifts and gestures. But his authenticity often failed to outshine Chuundar’s glamorous fictions.

But the shiny allure of those stories soon took on a more sinister edge, one that left Zaalar frustrated and angry. Chuundar could get away with anything, using only a few well spoken words to manipulate, while Zaalbar had to work for anything to call his own. He remembers endlessly reminding himself that unlike Chuundar, he knew how to work for a goal and to value those who worked with him. Remembers making himself believe it was a good thing, that one day he would shine before their father if he just bided his time and continued to work hard. 

That all changed the day Chuundar was caught sneaking into the Shadowlands before he was of age. Zaalbar let his frustration get the better of him that day, he sees that now, looking back. But it was so easy to exult in his brother’s long anticipated fall that he wasn’t subtle or kind when he heard about it. 

Chuundar didn’t take his younger brother’s laughing at his dishonour gracefully. There was no evidence to say Zaalbar hadn’t also been in the Shadowlands. And Chuundar used his gift for words to convince the elders he was the hero, bravely entering the Shadowlands to protect his rebellious younger brother. Zaalbar hadn’t been able to refute the charge and the chasm between them grew. Successfully blaming his brother set a precedent; Zaalbar now took the blame for all of Chuundar’s actions. And his frustration with Chuundar grew to hatred. Hatred he couldn’t hide, gaining him a reputation he couldn’t escape. The jealous and rebellious younger brother forever trying to claw his way out of his brother’s shadow..

By the time he discovered Chuundar was selling their people to Czerka’s slavers, Zaalbar was so full of rage he lost all control. And no one believed him when he tried to explain why. Why would they believe hateful and fractious Zaalbar in the light of Chuundar’s elegant words?

o - o - o - o

_ If I had seen the lies of Chuundar, he would have been exposed as a slaver. Zaalbar would not have been exiled... I did not believe Zaalbar's claims; I believed the elder boy, as tradition dictated. The shame of Zaalbar's attack blinded me. -Freyyr, Knights Of The Old Republic _

o - o - o - o

Zaalbar waits in his empty room, his back pressed against the wood walls, watching out the window. He watches as his people go about their day as he once did, as though their life is not constantly under attack.

As though Zaalbar’s brother has not demanded that Zaalbar’s companions kill his father.

Zaalbar had been so naïve to return here. When Sam had first announced that there was a Star Map on Kashyyyk, Zaalbar had resolved to remain with the ship the whole time. He had known, even then, that if he so much as stepped out into the port, Chuundar’s allies within Czerka would tell him that Zaalbar had broken his exile.

But when he arrived on planet and saw what was done to the forests he had grown up in, Zaalbar could not stand by. The port alone is a tribute to the destruction caused by the Czerka slavers, who claim to own Kashyyyk. It mocks the natural balance that everyone meant to live on Kashyyyk is a part of and is now used to drain the planet of everything that makes it beautiful.

Zaalbar has never told any of his companions of his exile, not even Mission. Until Sam pried the answers from him just hours prior, Zaalbar has never been able to muster the courage to speak of it at all. So when he announced that he wished to join them on their journey for the Star Map, none of them knew to talk him out of it, to act as the voice of reason. And now, because Zaalbar once again could not contain his anger or impulses, the companions who have become his family have a dangerous task before them.

They must face Zaalbar’s father, who Chuundar has banished to the lowest levels of Kashyyyk, to the Shadowlands. Zaalbar’s father, who now knows what Chuundar has done, who went similarly mad with the facts. Who did not commit a taboo but remained mad until his banishment. Chuundar has demanded his head. And – Zaalbar may not understand the Force, but he knows that lends a weight to every choice his Jedi companions make. Because of him, they find themselves on a path towards a death that could have been avoided had Zaalbar just stayed with the ship.

Juhani, who is working so hard to make the right choice to avoid what she believes is a darkness that haunts her steps – has Zaalbar forced her to strike a wookie who has done her no harm?

What of Quinlan? The mysterious Jedi who does not speak of them but carries his regrets with him in everything he does. Who flirts with the edges of morality for those he cares about – does he count Zaalbar among them? Will he strike down Zaalbar’s father to free him from Chuundar? Has Zaalbar added another regret to his burdens?

Or Bastila, so proud of her determination to make the selfless choice, who has thrown her life down for another, and in an instant would do it again, who will always bear the burden so others don’t have to – will she strike down Zaalbar’s father so that no one else must bear that mark upon their soul?

What about Sam – Sam who is clever with words, just as Chuundar, yet uses them to always find a better way, to save as many as they can, to create options for those who have none. Zaalbar wants to hope, to believe that the one he has sworn his life debt to can find another way, but this situation is proof that Chuundar has accounted for every idea that crosses Sam’s mind before they even think it.

And Mission. Poor sweet Mission, who Zaalbar loves more than his own life. He’s raised the girl since they met, both alone on the streets of Taris. Now, for his sake, Mission walks towards danger. It will not be her that strikes the final blow. Zaalbar knows this. She cares far too much for family, even knowing what her brother has done. She will never be able to strike down those she views as Zaalbar’s. 

Zaalbar worries for her safety far more than her choices.

If Chuundar and his scouts are to be believed, Zaalbar’s father has gone entirely mad in the Shadowlands. He would not be the first to do so. If he is mad, Zaalbar worries every moment that the older wookie will strike down Mission when she can not do the same to him. If Zaalbar’s little sister is killed because he could not remain on the ship when it mattered most, Zaalbar does not know what he will do with himself. It will not be pretty.

o - o - o - o

_ Exiled? Big Z never told me that! Of course he never said he was royalty, either. – Mission Vao, Knights Of The Old Republic _

o - o - o - o

Mission waits with Freyyr and watches him. For being Big Z’s father, there sure isn’t a lot of resemblance, if you ask her. Other than that, she isn’t sure what to think of him. He didn’t seem like a great parent, from what she’d heard. Sure, Mission may not remember her own parents, but even she knows parents are supposed to love their kids, not exile them.

But then again, Mission is also pretty sure that he regrets what he did. Once Bastila and Juhani subdued Freyyr and stopped his attack, he told Sam he wanted to make up for what he did. So at least he’s better than Griff is. But then that’s a low bar these days.

As she watches Freyyr, Mission kicks her feet back and forth in the air. She’s perched herself on top of one of the giant tree roots that twist and turn across the Shadowlands. Her perch is higher up than Freyyr is tall, and he’s even bigger than Big Z! Mission feels tall.

Freyyr is sitting down in the dirt and brown grasses and is leaning against another tree root. Mission can’t see what he’s doing, but she thinks he might be taking a nap. Old people have to sleep more, right? So, a nap makes sense. Mission watches for when the others come back.

They split up after talking to Freyyr – Sam and Bastila are going to find the Star Map so they can leave this stupid planet (Mission sees why Big Z said he never wanted to come back, even when it was just the two of them on Taris). Juhani, Quinlan, and the new hermit Jedi guy, J- something or other that they met at the entrance to the Shadowlands have gone off to find the sword Freyyr says they need.

According to him, the only wookies who can wield the blade are the true chieftains of their village, but the blade broke during a false chieftain's trial years ago. Big Z’s scummy brother has the hilt of the sword, but if they bring Freyyr back with the blade of the sword, then he can challenge for the right to be chieftain again, and then they can take Big Z and move on.

Mission still thinks Big Z should be the one to use the blade to challenge his brother though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> probably don't expect a chapter this weekend - I had something of a writing-based meltdown and am now behind :/


End file.
